Improvement in sofa-chairs or lounges



- Patented May 2,1876.

MPErERS, PHOTO LTHOGRAPHE -Iran STATES PATENT rrton Joan B. WOOD, or cnANsToN,"nnonn ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT lN soFA-cl-lAlns OR LOU'NGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 177,050, dated May 2, 1876; application filed January 13, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that-I, JOHN B. WOOD, of Oranston, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Combined Sofa- Ohair and Lounge; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact descriplion of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The object I have in view is the production of a sofa-chair or lounge which will be especially adapted for the use of invalids or sick persons, and at the same time may be convenient for use asa chair for sitting in, or for writing while sitting in it; and my invention'therein consists in the novel and peculiar means adapted for the adjustability of the arms or portions of the arms to any desired angle of inclination, and in the combination of the various operative parts, all as more particularly hereinafter explained.

In'order to enable those skilled in the art to use my chair and lounge, I proceed to describe the same, having reference to thedrawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of my device; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of one of the arms, looking from the rear and on the line 3 v y in Fig. 3; and Fig. 8is a cross-section on the line 00 00 in Fig. 2.

Like letters denote corresponding parts in each figure.

In the drawings, A represents the body or seat of the chair, of any usual or convenient description; to, the front of the same, and B the back, preferably of the form shown in Fig.

1, both of which parts may beadapted for covering or cushioning, with or withoutsprings, in any convenient way. To each end of the front a is pivoted an arm, 0, which pivoting may be by means of pins 1), or by means of a rod extending throngh'the bottom of said arm to the back, and secured therein.

' This arm 0 may have the ordinary coveringpiece 0, to give a better finish to the front of the arms. A ratchet-disk, D, is secured within or upon the front a, with its center coincident with the pivoting-pin b, or the equivalent rod, which ratchet-disk is cut away or hollowed upon one side, so as to adapt it to contain anon-spring, E, one end of which is secured to said ratehet-dislgand the other to the arm 0. By turning down said arm the spring iscoiled up, and when the arm israised to a vertical position the spring acts most energetically in assisting such movement. A pawl, F, pivoted upon the arm, and preferably working partially or entirely in a recess in the same, curves to conform-to the external shape of said piece 0, or the outside of the side rail, and terminatesin a thumb-piece or handle,-

f, and, in order to insure that its biting end shall take hold ofv the ratchet, has a leaf spring, g, and the pawl and ratchet limit the movement of the arm outwardly and downwardly.

side rail of the arm before described, a ratchetdisk, H, is secured, and, working into this ratchet-disk, is pivoted a spring-pawl, I, pivoted to the head-rest G, and preferably. so arranged that it may be operated by pressure of the hand upon the side rail or front piece of the head-rest.

By this contrivance it follows that the person sitting in the easy-chair orlounge may, by pressure upon the side rail named, release the pawl from the ratchet, and incline the head-rest in any desired position.

Should one desire to write when sitting in.

the chair, either head-rest, inclined outwardly .in a horizontal position, gives a convenient desk for the purpose.

If the chair is to be used simply as an easy chair 'for sit-tin g, both of the head-rests may be dropped outwardly to any inclination most convenient and comfortable, and, when dropped vertically, will be so inclosed in the arm (3 as to be out of the way, and give a good finish to the outside of the arm.

When themehair is to "be used for an invalid F or sick person the i adj nsta-bllityao'fithefarms andfthe head-rests, independently fol-coir jointly, afl'ords every inclination desired for rest or comfort both to the body, the head, or 1' legs and feet.

When-either arnr of thechairfislowereditoj? a horizontal position, with the head-rest extended in the same plane there is ,formedla, lounge, with theadvantagethattheother-armi maybe inclined at the same time to anydeg sired angle, and its head-rest adjusted to the; greatest" degree ofi com fort; or bothfarmsqnay be extended outwardly in a horizontal plane, with their several head rests in the same plane, and there is formed abcd, upon which a person a n1 ay die at 1 full L length. vIutthewarious movements tsanilmsesrof {this chairror lOUllge it \VlllibBfllDtiUQ-il thatlthe'sev-i crab movable parts a are ten tirelyiindependent, and thus the inclinations oflthe several partsi may be: changed ralniost zindefi nitel y.

plaineflr some; of itsl'iadvantages, iwhatiL-rclai as 'inewftherein, an'dforkwliieh I desire Eetters Patent,is--- f1 'js L 'Ina sofa-chair or lounge,the combination of the arm andhead-rst, each capable of iindependent adjustment stibstantially as described. a a a H2. lnasofa-chairor1ounge,the spiral spring' ?*'E,*"theratchet Dfand *the'rpawl F, in combi- ;nati0n with the arm, substantially as andfor theypurposes setforth. i a r3. *Inmsofa chair:orlounge,'the*combination eof'the head-rest withj'the ratchet H and its ,pawl, substantially as and for the purposes isetforth. a I

This speeificationsignedand withessetlithis lfitiuday: ofiflanuary, (187B. 3

- QJGHN B. W061),

"Witnesses:

i J. IGH'AS. 3THUEMAN,

WM. 111. MINNI X.

Having thus describedin ydevieeyandrer 

